Tasmanian Devil Triplets boost Fighting Extinction Breeding Program
Healesville Sanctuary has welcomed the arrival of not one … not two … but three new Tasmanian Devil joeys, with the trio providing hope this National Threatened Species Day. [Tuesday September 7]
Thirteen joeys across four litters have been born this year at Healesville Sanctuary as part of its breeding program for this endangered species. Over the past 14 years, the Sanctuary has bred almost 200 devils as part of the Save the Tasmanian Devil program.
The newest joeys will soon be ready to leave mum’s side and with each day they are becoming more curious.
Healesville Sanctuary Threatened Species Co-ordinator Peter Comber is incredibly proud to work on the Tasmanian Devil breeding program, along with many other partners.
“The success of this program is a credit to all the parties involved in creating an insurance population to ensure these carnivorous marsupials are with us today and for a long time into the future,” Mr Comber said.
“As for the new trio, we’ve seen them poking out of their mother’s backwards-facing pouch and then when they are bigger, they will be riding on her back. At night, we’ve seen them playfully bouncing around. Before we know it, they’ll be ready to explore the world on their own and, when they grow-up, they will play their own role in the breeding program.”
A major threat for these animals in the wild is a contagious cancer – devil facial tumour disease – which has wiped out 80 per cent of wild devil populations over the past 20 years.
Healesville Sanctuary and the Save the Tasmanian Devil breeding recovery program aims to have a disease-free insurance population, to ensure a long-term future for this species. Since the program began in 2007, there have been three successful wild releases of Healesville Sanctuary-bred Devils in disease-free locations in Tasmania in 2013, 2015 and 2017.
National Threatened Species Day serves to commemorate and raise awareness of animals at risk of extinction including the endangered Tasmanian Devil with a population of fewer than 15,000 in the wild. The date is also the anniversary of the death of the last known thylacine - Tasmanian Tiger.
Zoos Victoria’s three zoos – Werribee Open Range Zoo, Melbourne Zoo and Healesville Sanctuary – are currently closed to members and visitors in line with current COVIDSafe directions. However, animal lovers at home can stay connected with Zoos Victoria’s live stream cameras at zoo.org.au/animals-at-home.